


Thank goodness for jurassic plants

by Soren4300



Series: Gift for Ches - Spirk [2]
Category: Star Trek
Genre: Earth AU, Jim asked Spock on a date, M/M, No Space, flower shop au, sequel to meet ugly, they're 18 y/o and not their in control adult versions so let them have the feels and insecurities
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-12
Updated: 2018-01-12
Packaged: 2019-03-03 22:34:00
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,770
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13350900
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Soren4300/pseuds/Soren4300
Summary: The follow up date in the museum.





	Thank goodness for jurassic plants

Spock was standing in front of the mirror in the hallway, checking his appearance one last time. He had educated himself after giving his approval to go on a date with Jim about the exhibition and hoped he had grasped the concept of going on a date. Jim would be arriving in a few minutes and therefore he stepped outside and walked down the open stairs situated next to the wide window panes of his mother's flower shop.  
  
He was not certain what exactly he was feeling right now but his mother had been overjoyed the whole week and furthermore had only giggled when he had told her about the weird feeling in his chest and said that there was no need to go to the hospital, don't worry dear. But Spock decided to believe his mother, she would never endanger him.  
  
The streets were relatively empty after the morning rush had passed; he had no difficulty recognizing the sound of Jim's motorcycle. It slowed down once it got nearer and stopped next to him on the tarmac. Jim rather gracefully dismounted his bike, pushed down the kickstand with his right foot and took off his helmet. The weird feeling in his chest he had begun to associate with Jim resurfaced as he smiled at Spock. The internet had not been advantageous in his quest to identify the occurrence. He caught himself in time to return the greeting.  
  
Jim stepped onto the pavement and continued to smile. It had gotten even wider now and the skin around his eyes crinkled a little.  
  
“Good morning. You look great, Spock! How has your day been so far?”  
  
“It has been quite well, thank you for asking.” Spock remembered to show interest, something the internet had been adamant about.  
  
“Did you have a safe ride?”  
  
While looking at Jim he reached the decision that this shade of wonderfully electrifying blue had to be a biological miracle.  
  
“Oh, yes, I did.” He looked so genuinely ecstatic. Then he faltered slightly.  
  
“I've got something for you. I hope that's not too presumptuous...” Spock did _not_ have something for Jim.  
  
He walked back the short distance to his motorcycle and took a small flat object, which was clearly hand wrapped in light green paper with systematically placed white dots, out of the closest of his motorcycle bags. Jim turned around again and held it out to Spock.  
  
Gingerly and slightly curious he accepted the gift and searched Jim's face for a clue as to whether or not he should unwrap it right now. The other just watched him with suppressed anticipation so Spock decided to gently tear off the duct tape holding the paper together. He placed the used duct tape into the pocket of his jacket and unveiled a medium sized flat box of chocolate.  
  
“Ehm...It's vegan. And gluten and nut free because I didn't know if you had any allergies and it would have really sucked if you- well...”, Jim trailed off. He was rubbing his neck with his free hand and seeing Jim so nervous and out of his depth calmed him down immensely. The both of them were insecure about this.  
  
“That was very thoughtful of you, Jim. Thank you.” Spock couldn't stop the smile from gracing his face and he wasn't sure if he even minded. “I don't have any allergies and I'm a vegetarian.”  
  
“That's cool!”  
  
They continued to smile at each other until Jim seemed to remember the reason why he was here.  
  
“So ehm...wanna go to the museum?”  
“Yes, I'd like that very much.”  
  
It was like Jim's eyes shone brightly whenever he smiled and Spock wanted to analyze every single detail when he got the chance. He vaguely wondered if that should be worrisome or not.  
  
While he had been lost in thoughts Jim had walked to the other side of his motorcycle and opened a second bag. He took out another helmet and held it out to Spock.  
  
“I wasn't sure if you had a helmet or not so I brought one with me.”  
  
Touched by how much Jim cared about his well-being Spock took the helmet and put it on. Jim helped him with the strap and then explained:”I'll go on first and you'll sit behind me so I can drive while you hold on. When I lean into a turn just stick very close to me and shift your weight just a little in whatever direction I'm leaning. But I'll drive carefully so everything should be fine.”  
  
He had started to gesticulate while talking and at the end finally took a breath. Spock decided that no matter how this date would go he was already very grateful for everything Jim had done so far.  
  
All the while Jim looked at him to make sure he had understood everything Spock nodded and gave him another smile. His shoulders relaxed and put on his helmet as well, kicking up the stand after mounting his motorcycle. Jim gave him a firm nod and Spock walked closer in order to sit behind the other.  
  
“Hold on and keep your feet off the ground.”  
  
Spock saw no other possibility to stay secure so he wound his arms around Jim's torso and bent his legs to keep his feet away from the tarmac.  
  
The engine came to life with a gentle and deep hum and shortly after they were already driving past buildings and other roads. Sitting so close to someone felt weird but after their short interactions Spock felt an undeniable amount of trust towards Jim which was the reason Spock soon occupied his thoughts with the analysis of this new perspective and impressions. The tinted visor bathed the otherwise familiar streets and buildings in captivating shades of orange and yellow.  
  
Time had never been rational but the drive to the museum could have been seven minutes or half an hour to Spock, which was a slightly unsettling occurrence in itself.  
  
After Jim had slowed down and turned off the motor he let Spock dismount first before following suit and pushing the kickstand down. Spock watched him secure the bike and only saw now that the bags had locks but it made a lot of sense. Otherwise Jim never would have been able to leave his bike unattended. On top of that carrying the helmets around with them would have been quite inconvenient.  
  
They entered the museum through the main entrance and walked to the counter on the right side of the foyer. No one else was in there with them except the receptionist and therefore Spock could hear their footsteps echoing from the marble walls and high ceiling without difficulty.  
  
They stepped up to the counter and a lady in a white blouse greeted them with a smile.  
  
“Well, hello there, you two. How can I help you today?”  
  
“We would like to visit the exhibition with the dinosaur plants.”  
  
“Sure, sure! Have fun in there! And no pinning the masterpieces to the wall~”, she said while she handed them two tickets.  
  
Uncomprehending Spock caught on too late that Jim had already paid for both their tickets. Once they had acquired an information pamphlet with the floor plan on it and left the foyer Spock decided to speak up.  
  
“I am able to pay for myself, Jim.”  
  
“Of course, but I invited you to this date.” He made no secret of the smile in his voice when he gently added:”Please, just for today.”  
  
“I will hold you up to this condition.”  
  
The pamphlet guided them through the space sciences exhibition first. From the main path Spock could see a truly exquisite model of the USS EXCELSIOR but since Jim didn't seem to be interested in her they continued on to the Jurassic flora exhibition.  
  
Before Jim and Spock could enter the new exhibition their eyes were drawn to a sign next to the entrance saying:  


_CAUTION_  
  
VISITORS WITH ASTHMA  
AND  
SIMILAR BREATHING TROUBLES  
ARE ADVICED  
TO INFORM THEMSELVES  
AT THE RECEPTION  
BEFORE ENTERING THIS ROOM!  


  


Having read the sign they looked at each other, silently asking the other if they should proceed. Since neither of them voiced any concerns they opened the door separating the exhibitions and entered the next room.  
  
Spock took in all the sights with baited breath. The first thing his senses perceived was the change in lighting, warmth and that the air had a strange quality to itself. He saw bright lamps on the ceiling. Silently he looked from several pedestals with fossils on the left side of the entrance to the right side were he could see signs with information about the respective plants behind them. Alongside the walls Spock saw several water tanks with plants in them. Without further ado he strided through the big room towards the water tanks, remembering what he had read online. Apparently the museum was trying to imitate the air and lighting conditions from the Jurassic period since all plants found in this exhibition were back breeded or close relatives to the flora back then. He lost himself in his interest.  


  


_Montsechia vidalii_  
  
Habitat: freshwater lakes  
Time period: Cretaceous period,  
(125 - 130 million years ago)  
Found location: northeastern Spain  
  
The _Montsechia vidalii_ is said to be  
one of the first plants with flowers  
and appears to have relied on water  
currents alone to move its pollen about,  
conducting its entire life underwater,  
although it appears to have developed on land.  
Contrary to that the _Archaefructus sinensis_ ,  
an aquatic plant from northeastern China  
from about the same time, which likely  
sent shoots up above the water to reproduce.  
  
A modern relative is a group called  
_Ceratopyllum_ which are fuzzy aquatic plants,  
also called coontails, and can be found worldwide  
and are popular for aquariums.  
  
Since there were no drastic changes in pollination  
insects or animals or in its climate and environment  
that land plants had the lineage persisted throughout  
the years. There is proof that dates the _Ceratophyllum_  
back to 45 million years.  
  


\----------

Jim's heart was beating fast. He was inexplicably nervous. He took a calming breath and looked at Spock only to quickly lose it again. Back to square one. How could someone look so ethereal while reading in a too brightly lit room? He had read about recreating the sun light back then because they had less carbon stuff in the atmosphere to block the light or something like that. And his smile was so beautiful...And he had really gone through with his rude demand. Jim still laid awake at night because of that one. But Spock seemed to enjoy himself now reading about dinosaur plants so Jim continued to fret some more in his mind. He had wanted to look cool in front of Spock but who was he kidding? Spock had already seen his uncool side. He had yelled at the other boy and he still really felt sorry for it so he had wanted to make it up to Spock and thank him for going on a date with him. He thought back to when he had decided to give him a present.  
  
_'Should I get flowers? No, he sees them every day. And how would it look like if bought them at a different shop?' He continued to pace inside his room._  
  
_'Sweets? Chocolate! Oh god, what if he has allergies?? Oh fuck me it's just another date why am I so nervous... Okay. Okay, I can do this. No worries. Let's google this...'_  
  
Awkwardly he also remembered how nervous he had been on the ride to their meeting spot.  
  
Steeling his resolve he decided to make a move on Spock. Deep breath, Jim.  
  
“Hey, I don't think I ever caught your last name?”  
  
Spock blinked and then looked up from his reading, realizing what had interrupted him. Maybe that _hadn't_ been the right time to ask.  
  
“Spock _is_ my last name.”  
  
_Fuck._  
  
“Oh...So...what's your birth name?”  
  
“My given name is S'chn T'gai. But since it's rather difficult to pronounce for the people I have met so far everyone except my mother calls me Spock.” He sounded so educated whenever he talked.  
  
“May I know _your_ complete name?” Okay, that was easy to answer.  
  
“The name's James Tiberius Kirk! But Jim is fine.”  
  
Spo- No. If only his mother called him by his first name then Jim wanted to get it right. Sschen...No. Sss'Cchhn-... Okay. He _could_ do this... ... ... S'chn. S'chn. Good. S'chn...Tagai. No. S'chn...T'gai. S'chn T'gai. He felt so proud. But the look … _S'chn T'gai_ … suddenly gave him surely was intense.  
  
“Kirk as in 'Kirk Enterprises'?”  
  
“Yeah, that's dad's company!”, he answered with no small amount of pride in his voice.  
  
“But...you're not interested in space sciences? Since that is what your father's company deals with.”  
  
“Ah, no...I like them a lot. What gave you that impression?”  
  
“You didn't look around the space exhibition when we went through.”  
  
“Oh! Well, we're for the plants and since that's what made you agree I thought we could go here first and then maybe on the way back look at their models since then the both of us could have fun. Not that I'm bored right now! And- well...Ehm...”  
  
Jim fell silent and let his hands drop back to his sides when he saw S'chn T'gai nod at him with kind eyes. He never realized when he started gesticulating because often times he was too nervous. And breathing. He forgot to breath when was nervous or agitated. Although it had gotten a lot better. Two years ago he probably would have stuttered around such a cute boy.  
  
“Let's do that on our way back then. And I've read that a date is supposed to be enjoyed by all participants and communication is of high importance. Therefore please speak up when you'd like to do something. After all... _it would be an awful date if we did something you wouldn't like._ ”  
  
He waited till Jim gave him a sign that he had understood. Wait. Did he- He did! And his slightly embarrassed smile said he knew exactly what he had just done. How adorable.  
  
Schooling his face back into a casual expression he continued.  
  
“May I assume the mentioned business partner was no one else than Nero, CEO of Qo'nos?”  
  
“Wow, you know about that?” Impressive! He probably educated himself...That had no right to be hot.  
  
“The cooperation between _Kirk Enterprises_ and _Qo'nos certainly_ was a news worthy spectacle.”  
  
Jim didn't answer since it looked like S'chn T'gai wanted to add something. After a short pause he found his words.  
  
“Do you have your heritage integrated into your plans for the future?”  
  
That...sure was a complicated way to ask a question. Not that he minded, of course. Was this still considered small talk? He realized he was very interested in a in-depth conversation with S'chn T'gai. No longer nervous he threw himself in the conversation.  
  
”I'm going to attend Starfleet Academy next semester to study business relationships. What about your plans for the future?”  
  
“It might sound surprising but I'll be attending Starfleet Academy as well. I am planning on becoming an astrophysicist."  
  
“Hey! That means we could see each other, S'chn T'gai! Cool!”  
  
S'chn T'gai eyes widened as he looked off to the side with a small bewildered but genuine smile on his face. Wait. Oh may someone have mercy on his heart, was that a blush? Yes. Yes, that was definitely a blush. His reddened cheeks were a stark contrast to the rest of his face. The sight made Jim's heart beat faster and painted a smile on his face.  
  
“Your parents must be proud of you.”  
  
The cute smile disappeared and Jim could only wonder how he could fuck up apparently everything when it came the mysterious but nerdy boy in front of him.  
  
“...My mother is very proud of me, yes.”  
  
Jim really had a fucking talent. He prided himself on being able to read and manipulate a situation with great skill but that did not help him right now. Quickly deciding on how to save the atmosphere he took S'chn T'gai's hand and pulled him over to the fossils and said with a bright smile:“That's great! Come on, let's look at the other stuff too. 

__

\------

Dropping the conversation they immersed themselves in the exhibition, sometimes glancing down on their still joined hands. Their palms were a little wet but they simultaneously decided that it didn't bother them that much and enjoyed the newly relaxed atmosphere.  
  


Spock certainly was glad he had accepted the offer.  



End file.
